Abstract: Visual landmarks are used to organize diagrams. Elements of a diagram can be arranged in accordance with configurable defined properties of visual landmarks to provide some degree of layout structure within the diagram. Users can customize visual landmarks to cause the visual landmarks to exhibit desired behavior.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to providing an application model to deploy and manage composite applications and to providing model-driven software coding assistance. In an embodiment, a computer system instantiates an application design interface that is configured to display composite application components and relationships between the components. Each component includes information specifying how communication is to be conducted with the component. The computer system accesses an application manifest that includes the components and component relationships of the application. The computer system displays the composite application's components and component relationships in the instantiated visual application design interface according to the application manifest.

Abstract: Visual landmarks are used to organize diagrams. Elements of a diagram can be arranged in accordance with configurable defined properties of visual landmarks to provide some degree of layout structure within the diagram. Users can customize visual landmarks to cause the visual landmarks to exhibit desired behavior.

Abstract: Defining a layout of diagram elements can be performed in response to user input that includes one or more declarative statements specifying conditional patterns based on attributes of diagram elements, wherein the conditional patterns define layouts of diagram elements. Implementation of the layouts is dependent on conditions defined in the declarative statements and one or more values of one or more of the attributes. Implementations can further include organizing the conditional patterns as a pattern definition, wherein the pattern definition is stored on a computer readable medium in such a way that the pattern definition is retrievable by an application program that uses the pattern definition to evaluate the conditional patterns using values of attributes of one or more diagram elements. Representations of the diagram elements can be displayed according to the layouts when conditions for implementing the layouts are satisfied.

Abstract: Embodiments include presenting a first user interface (UI) of an executing application, based on model data that defines an appearance of UI elements of the first UI. Concurrent to presenting the first UI, a second UI of a real-time editor is presented. The second UI is configured to receive editing inputs that are to be applied to the model data, to edit the first UI while the application is executing. A first editing input is received at the second UI, which selects particular model data defining particular UI element(s). Based on the first editing input at the second UI, each of the particular UI element(s) is visually distinguished within the first UI. A second editing input is received at the second UI, which provides changes to the model data corresponding to the particular UI element(s). The particular UI element(s) of the first UI are updated to reflect the desired changes.

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for using visual landmarks to organize diagrams. Embodiments of the invention facilitate using visual landmarks to organize elements within a diagram. Elements of a diagram can be arranged in accordance with configurable defined properties of visual landmarks to provide some degree of layout structure within the diagram. Accordingly, embodiments of the invention provide a user experience that provides some structure but retains the flexibility of free form editing. Users can customize visual landmarks to cause the visual landmarks to exhibit desired behavior.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a computer system instantiates a real-time incremental editor configured to receive editing inputs that are to be applied to data of a data model, where the data model data declaratively defines a UI model that drives the behavior of a corresponding UI based on the UI model. The computer system receives an editing input from a user indicating one or more desired edits that are to be made to the UI and determines, based on the received editing inputs, which changes are to be made to the data model data to enact the desired changes in the UI. The computer system updates the UI in real-time based on the determined edits to the data model data and presents the updated UI in real-time without losing state information in the resultant UI.

Abstract: Performing incremental runtime composition. A method includes a computing system receiving a user input gesture modifying a diagram displayed on a diagram surface. The diagram includes a first element, a second element, and a plurality of elements connected to the second element laid out in a particular layout pattern with respect to the second element. The method further includes interpreting the user input gesture to be a gesture creating a graph by connecting the first element to the second element of the diagram. The method further includes performing an auto layout of the diagram by automatically, and without user intervention, repositioning the second element with respect to the first element but without substantially repositioning the plurality of elements with respect to the second element by moving the second element and the plurality of elements as an atomic unit.

Abstract: Mechanisms for allowing a user to scroll through a displayed viewer. Upon detected using input while the viewer is being displayed, the user input is identified is being a scrolling gesture. In response, a scrolling control is activated at an interior portion of the displayed viewer. In addition, when the user navigates the cursor to within a scrollable display, the cursor is adorned with a scrolling context emblem that represents scrolling options available for that viewer.

Abstract: Defining a layout of diagram elements can be performed in response to user input that includes one or more declarative statements specifying conditional patterns based on attributes of diagram elements, wherein the conditional patterns define layouts of diagram elements. Implementation of the layouts is dependent on conditions defined in the declarative statements and one or more values of one or more of the attributes. Implementations can further include organizing the conditional patterns as a pattern definition, wherein the pattern definition is stored on a computer readable medium in such a way that the pattern definition is retrievable by an application program that uses the pattern definition to evaluate the conditional patterns using values of attributes of one or more diagram elements. Representations of the diagram elements can be displayed according to the layouts when conditions for implementing the layouts are satisfied.

Abstract: Defining a layout of diagram elements. A method includes receiving user input. The user input includes one or more declarative statements specifying conditional patterns based on attributes of diagram elements. The conditional patterns define layouts of diagram elements. Implementation of the layouts is dependent on conditions defined in the declarative statements and one or more values of one or more of the attributes. The method further includes organizing the conditional patterns as a pattern definition. The pattern definition is stored on a computer readable medium. The pattern definition is stored such that the pattern definition is retrievable by an application program that uses the pattern definition to evaluate the conditional patterns using values of attributes of one or more diagram elements. The application is also configured to display representations of the diagram elements according to the layouts when conditions for implementing the layouts are satisfied.

Abstract: A method and system for creating and modifying computer applications using an application description language based on a markup language is provided. An engine creates, connects, and initializes objects corresponding to entities, and specified by entity tags. A factory may be specified by an entity tag and used to create a plurality of entities. Applications are specified in a plaintext descriptive language using a markup language such as XML, enabling applications to be easily developed using object oriented techniques and abstraction. Altering preexisting applications is also simplified. Finally, an application may be dynamically reconfigured when the application's data changes. Type checking and conditional creation of entities is supported.

Abstract: A viewer may be used to navigate through diagrammatic views of hierarchically structured documents. Expansion and collapse controls may be used to show or hide details regarding a particular node in the hierarchy. Furthermore breadcrumb navigation may be employed to show and hide details regarding the ancestral chain for a particular node in the hierarchy.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to providing an application model to deploy and manage composite applications and to providing model-driven software coding assistance. In an embodiment, a computer system instantiates an application design interface that is configured to display composite application components and relationships between the components. Each component includes information specifying how communication is to be conducted with the component. The computer system accesses an application manifest that includes the components and component relationships of the application. The computer system displays the composite application's components and component relationships in the instantiated visual application design interface according to the application manifest.

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for composing views with automatic creation of links. Generally, views receive data through a query. Views also can have bindings to variables, for example, to represent what is selected in the view. Analyzing these queries can be used to determine whether a composition is valid, and how to compute a new query for a composed second view. In a composite view, a selection variable is utilized, and is bound to the selection parameter of the new first view. The data query for the second new view is re-written to refer to the selection variable in the composite.

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for smart gestures for diagram state transitions. Embodiments of the invention expose a set of gestures and behaviors, which permit diagram transitions to be made with a reduced number of (and potentially a single) user gesture(s). For example, zoom levels can be toggled between a working zoom level and a zoom level sufficient to present an entire diagram and vice versa using a single user input gesture. Likewise, diagrams can be appropriately (and automatically) panned to make selected as well as newly created diagram elements visible in their entirety using a single user input gesture.

Abstract: A viewer may be used to navigate through diagrammatic views of hierarchically structured documents. Expansion and collapse controls may be used to show or hide details regarding a particular node in the hierarchy. Furthermore breadcrumb navigation may be employed to show and hide details regarding the ancestral chain for a particular node in the hierarchy.

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for hierarchically presenting tabular data. Embodiments of the invention utilize out-denting and/or color coding to organize and present tabular data to a user so that comparisons across multiple levels of data are possible while maintaining hierarchical organization of a model. That is, the columnar structure of tables can be maintained to allow rich cross-column comparison within various levels of nesting. Further, scaling is significantly increased since nesting has a reduced (and potentially no) impact on column alignment.

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for composing views with automatic creation of links. Generally, views receive data through a query. Views also can have bindings to variables, for example, to represent what is selected in the view. Analyzing these queries can be used to determine whether a composition is valid, and how to compute a new query for a composed second view. In a composite view, a selection variable is utilized, and is bound to the selection parameter of the new first view. The data query for the second new view is re-written to refer to the selection variable in the composite.

Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for structured arrangement of visual endpoints in diagrams. Generally, endpoint arrangements are consistently used on shapes in a domain (diagram type) based on common information flow characteristics of the domain. In addition, shape specific positioning of endpoints can be based on a shape's unique characteristics. Diagrams are more readable across an organization because diagrams have a more consistent flow structure in the form of endpoints and connections. Diagrams are also easier to construct because endpoints have predictable locations.